Eim Khao Mun Kai East Village

Stopped by Eim Khao Mun Kai at their new East Village location and really enjoyed it. We got the Set for 3 so we could try everything, crispy fried, grilled, and the signature steamed chicken. All three were good, but the steamed chicken with the ginger rice was my favorite. The rice was fragrant, the soup was light and comforting, and the sauces added a lot of flavor. The food came out pretty quickly and everything felt simple and comforting, just the kind of meal you want when you don’t feel like overthinking what to eat. Reminds me a lot of Khao Mun Kai you’d find in Bangkok.

Came in for the roasted chicken and it was way better than I expected. The rice was super fragrant and every grain held together without being dry. The chicken was tender and silky from the rendered fat. The sauces were spot on for Hainanese style and really elevated the meal. The ginger scallion soup had this deep, savory flavor that felt rich without being heavy. At $14.99 for the portion, it’s a great deal for the East Village. Service was quick and friendly, and the space is clean, cozy, and functional. Definitely planning to come back.

Went at opening on a Saturday morning and chicken was nowhere near the Elmhurst location. Texture was like cold chicken that was cut by knife not hand shredded . Roasted chicken was microwave. Only fried was edible

I LOVE the chicken from their Elmhurst location so when I heard the opening in East Village, I have the try. I had a 1-person meal fried chicken for dine in and one grilled chicken for take out. Fried chicken was good, but grilled chicken portion is ridiculously small. Also, I paid tips on both, based on post-tax amount plus credit card fee. Bottom line: not the place I remember any more…

Pure Thai chicken rice heaven from Elmhurst! Tender chicken, fragrant rice, and those essential, flavorful sauces. Simple, authentic, and utterly satisfying. A top spot for a classic Khao Mun Kai fix!

The roast chicken is delicious and fresh and the soup is very rich full taste of broth, definitely come back and recommend this place to try The service is stunning specially the server Bianca she so nice and kind Very happy to get meal in this place

Excellent this chicken rice. Absolute perfectly balanced and tender chicken. Once you try it, it'll be your go to confort food for sure. I used to frequent the Elmhurst location often, but now it's in near where I live in the LES.

A safe haven during a heat wave!! Amazing hospitable service, flavorful food without being too heavy, and free soup refills! The steamed chicken and crispy chicken were both delicious but I preferred the steamed. Will definitely be back!

Came here for dinner and was pleasantly surprised. This restaurant also has another location in Elmhurst but since I was in the city and nearby, I decided to check it out! There's about 3 tables and about 5 bar stool seats inside the restaurant. My sister ordered the classic Steamed Chicken - Set A. I decided to get the Crispy Chicken - Set A. At each table, there's condiments available to make your sauce. You can't go wrong with any combinations of the sauces. At one point, I mixed all of the sauces up and it worked well together. From the two dishes I tried, I really enjoyed the steamed chicken. I found the the fried one to be too thick in batter for me, but this is all a personal preference. I heard that the one in their Elmhurst location didn't offer the fried version so if you want to get your chicken fried, check this place out!

Excited to see this place opened in Manhattan, a place focusing on poached chicken rice (Thai-style) in East Village. Khao Mun Gai is a very simple dish overseas in Southeast Asia but to do it well could be hard: you need a fresh chicken and poach it well without drying out the meat. Overall the chicken itself is okay and you can flavor it more with the different sauces on the table (garlic, spicy chili, thick soy sauce). The organs that came with the poached chicken were dry and and tasteless though as noted by other people. The place is clean and simple, a modernized version of street stalls in Thailand. Menu is easy to read and ordering is straightforward. I came at a time when it was a down time so no wait.

Having never been to the Elmhurst location, I didn't know what to expect. This hole in the wall location is right near St Marks. The menu only has three food items, chicken rice served three ways: steamed, crispy, and roasted. I went with steamed and crispy to go. The first thing to catch my eye was that they serve it on paper. It really gave an Asia vibe. I was worried it would leak through or become a mess but surprisingly everything was still packed neatly. The rice is flavorful. The chicken was tender and delicious. And even the radish soup was yummy. I just wished they had ginger scallion sauce. I'll definitely visit again.

Stopped in for the roasted chicken and it did not disappoint. The rice was fragrant and perfectly cooked, each grain holding its texture without being dry. The chicken was incredibly tender, the fat rendered down until it was silky and flavorful. The sauces were outstanding and true to the classic Hainanese style, each one adding a perfect counterpoint to the rich chicken. The ginger scallion soup was a standout, pulling deep aromatic flavors from its vegetable base. At $14.99 for the portion, it felt like a very fair deal, especially in the East Village. Will absolutely be back. The service was friendly and fast. Warm. The space is clean and cozy, while remaining functional.

SO happy I have an alternative location for Hainanese chicken rice!! Amazingly it is in an area of Manhattan that I am usually around when I visit family or hang out with friends. I don't eat a lot of chicken but if I want some, I go to EIM Khao Mun Kai. They make 1 thing and that 1 thing is good. I've been going to the Queens location for 10 years! Whenever I am craving the taste of my first Hainanese chicken rice I had in Singapore (2012) I would go to EIM Khao Mun Kai. Although this place makes a Thai style Hainanese chicken rice, the chicken texture and flavor as well as the rice flavor is closer to what I had in Singapore compared to the popular NYC Malaysian places that make Hainanese chicken rice, too. You'd think the Malaysian places would make it better because the country is situated right next to Singapore. Unfortunately it's not the case. This Thai spot makes a better Hainanese chicken rice!! Is it a specific breed of chicken being used? Or is it purely the process and cooking/poaching technique of the chicken? I'm so curious. Good thing I live in Queens so it is never a trek for me to satisfy a craving at the Elmhurst location. Service here isn't as rushed as their Elmhurst location. Maybe because my family and I had an early dinner? Near end of the meal we had a refill of soup which was nice. However, if you drink too much Thai Iced Tea and soup, there is no bathroom!

I was very excited when this location opened! Their primary location is in Elmhurst and their boneless Hainanese chicken is so good! My best friend and I dropped by tonight and were excited to have the chicken rice but we were a little disappointed. We got the steamed chicken Set B which is for two people. It comes with chicken gizzards, chicken liver, steamed ginger rice, and daikon soup. Unlike the Elmhurst location, the chicken, gizzards, and liver were bland and lacked flavor. I have to say that sadly, the ginger rice and the daikon soup were the only things that had flavor. The shop had a few tables for dine in and the staff were friendly. We are hoping that they will improve in the next few months since they just opened a month ago. Will try them again then!